Hi, I keep being distracted from writing the PhD by the thought of what i'll do next. Does anyone know when the right time is to start applying for jobs. 2 of my mates have gotten jobs already but i dont think i can cope with a job and doing the PhD. On the other hand, having a job at hand after the phd could motivate me to finish on time to start something new. Does anyone have any experience?

k

hi koturu you are in the write-up stage? I am so happy for you! I'm not there yet. But from my 2-and-still-struggling-years I prefer to concentrate on the writing and then only apply for a job later. I'm not good at multi-tasking either. Time management is difficult sometimes. But its true that if you have a job at hand after the phd, it wil be a motivator AND a wonderful reward.

if it doesnt take much time to apply for jobs, maybe you can apply while writing up :-)
good luck
satchi

Hey! It's a tough one really- I'm only in second year but my supervisor and I are planning to apply for funding for me to do a post-doc here when I've finished my PhD and we're in the early stages of writing proposals now. It's really tough- I'm hellishly busy yet trying to find the time to conduct extra lit reviews, writing an additional review paper, familiarising myself with a whole load of new literature (twice over, as we are putting in two separate applications for different projects!), but if I don't do it then I won't get the post-doc I want so I'm just trying to cram it in. In reality, funding is so competitive that we may well not get it anyway, but I'm determined to give it a shot. Are you going to be applying for funding or looking for an advertised position? If you see a job you are keen on then I would definitely apply- of course your PhD is high priority but it would be a shame to miss out on opportunities for the sake of an extra week's work or whatever. That's my thoughts on it anyway! Best, KB

Hi Koturu, I have sent you a PM
CG

Thanks everyone. I've taken your advice. I'm applying for funding. There is relatively less competition that way than applying for jobs. I think its easier for people to apply for a job than design a proposal, budget and project operational strategy. So, I'm taking the harder but most likely to succeed route. I decided to use 2 weeks to apply for funding, submit them forget about them and focus on the PhD. As long as my mind keeps wondering on what I'll do next, i wont be able to concentrate on the PhD. I hope those of you applying get your funding as well.

Cheers,

k

I think it really depends on the job itself. Some people I know applied early and it didn't work out for them because the employer/PI wanted them to start the job almost immediately, but they still needed some time (months) to finish their PhD. Other people I know also applied early but it worked out for them because the jobs were to start later than PhD completion date. Personally I have chosen to keep an eye out for suitable jobs, and if I see suitable ones (interesting/relevant project and ok starting date) I may well apply for them. And if I don't get a job lined up in the final month or two of PhD I think I may have to be more flexible and apply for all remotely relevant jobs!

Good luck!

I'm in the writing up stage of my PhD and just applied for a lectureship position in my field. I'm now concerned that they won't consider my application because the job start date is a month before my hand in date. Does anyone have any experience of this? Thanks.

Argh, I know 3 people who have started lectureships jobs before they finished their phd. If they are interested they will call you. If  they are want you to finish the phd first, they wont call you. so, there's nothing to worry about.

Thanks Koturu: Good to hear about some positive experiences. Keep your fingers crossed for me :-)